‘So we really saw an opportunity to bring a new product to market that for the better part tasted like the conventional counterparts.’ It’s CEO, Doug Radi, was prescient: ‘In the conventional channel, where 8% of all fluid milk sold is plant-based, less than 1% of yogurt is plant-based,’ he told Food Business News. The brand launched a line of dairy-free yogurts featuring this rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber in 2017. Good Karma Foods takes a different strategy: flaxseeds. Soon after, Liz entered remission, and she largely credits her progress to a high fat, plant-based diet. In the process, she discovered the Pili nut and Lavva was born. After being diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, the founder, Liz Fisher, turned to a high-fat diet (to complement traditional medicine). Then there is Lavva, the brand that enlists the nutritious superfood, the Pili nut, a tasty nut grown in the volcanic soil of the Philippine peninsula.
Derived from pea protein, Ripple touts that it is built around sustainability, using significantly less water than dairy, and is free from allergens such as lactose, nuts, soy and gluten. With the increasing popularity of plant-based products and the significant drawbacks of industrial animal agriculture, it’s not surprising that entrepreneurs are investing in vegan yogurts. Additional factors cited by other market researchers include the growing number of people with lactose intolerance (estimated to be approximately 65% of the human population) and a desire to align one’s food choices with social consciousness and environmental sustainability. A 2019 study by IRI found similar results: plant-based dairy purchases were primarily driven by health and diet concerns.
The two biggest motivators? Weight management and health. Well, let’s zoom out for a moment: Research published in 2018 from Mintel shows that 60% of Americans are interested in consuming less meat, 31% are choosing to have meat-free days, and one-third plan to buy more plant-based foods. What explains this ‘udderly’ remarkable shift?